[Murder Party]
Plot:A random invitation to a Halloween party leads a man into the hands of a rogue collective intent on murdering him for the sake of their art, sparking a bloodbath of mishap, mayhem and hilarity.

Cast: Alex Barnett, Malin Bergman, Macon Blair, Amanda Bryan, Michael Clomegah, Andre da Costa, Alton Du Laney, Heidi Edwards, Paul Goldblatt, Beryl Guceri, William Lacey, Damon Lindsay, Kerry MacDonald, Stacy Rock, Skei Saulnier, Chris Sharp, Beau Sia, Melanie L. Sullivan, Bill Tangradi, David Zellerford.

My Thoughts:Strange yet good.

Review:Review:Jeremy Saulnier's indie horror pic "Murder Party" is one of those weird, and quirky horror pics that don't come along too often. The film blends dark humor with a simple yet effective plot which all culminates in a 75 minute, above average, horror/comedy. "Murder Party" follows a man who leads a boring, normal life in New York City. That is until Halloween Day, when he finds an invite in the street to a Halloween Party. Despite not knowing who it's from, the man decides to go anyways, but upon arriving...he finds out that the party planners have more sinister plans in store for him than just the usual Hallowene Night tricks and treats.

The man learns, that he's about to become a macabre art project for a group of struggling artists who are willing to go to "any lengths" to earn a grant. "Murder Party" is a film which those who spend alot or atleast some time in the New York art community would understand more than anyone else. I personally am not an art community brat, and the film itself is pretty easy to understand and get even if you aren't one. Writer/Director Saulnier does an excellent job of setting up a twisted situation, and then leaving the viewer to ponder whether or not the main character will escape said situation.

In the midst of all of this, Saulnier also gives us some very quirky, weird, and sometimes beyond cruel characters to dissect while we ponder and wait to see if this man will live or die, as once he arrives at the party, he's quickly bound, gagged, and tied to a chair. "Murder Party" certainly isn't your normal horror movie, nor does it follow the normal horror film rules. In many ways...it's a film that creates it's own rules, while at the same time...flirting a little bit with that "torture genre", which has become so popular as of late.

In many ways, it's a hybrid horror pic which pretty much does it's own thing, and doesn't telegraph ahead of time, it's ultimate end resoluton before the final act arrives. The performances are pretty decent as well, and while some of the characters wear thin after awhile, there are others who manage to keep the viewer intrigued and interested throughout. "Murder Party" doesn't exactly live up to it's title literally in the way that you would think, but metaphorically it does. However, the picture does eventually deliver the blood, gore, and carnage that one would expect from a movie carrying a title like this.

Although it comes late, the film runs 4 minutes shy of 80 minutes so you won't be stuck too long without any of the red stuff. "Murder Party" is more than anything a character horror film, which relies more on it's characters and their dark, sadistic, yet quirky personalities to carry it along, instead of genuine scares and lots of blood. Not many horror films take a chance like this, and the directors & writers opt for blood and gore over beyond-one-dimensional characters. But "Murder Party" doesn't, and takes a risk which for the most part pays off.

The movies final act is where it shines the most, and where it also gets really crazy. Truly...the final 20 minutes of the pic are it's most enjoyable moments. "Murder Party" is a film for horror fans who are looking for something different from the usual B-Movie tripe, and enjoy dark humor and horror elements blended together into one interesting yet fun to watch mix.

Positives:Interesting script and plot, good performances, great final act.

Negatives:Sometimes a few of the characters can wear thin and ultimately begin to annoy the viewer.

Overall:Good film for the most part.





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